1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to telecommunications, and more particularly, to wireless communications.
2. Description of the Related Art
As use of hand-held or portable communication devices, such as mobile phones, continues to grow, new value added services are being launched by many vendors and network operators. For example, with a rapid demand in wireless traffic, a host of messaging services have become successful over time. A messaging service may use an engine underlying an electronic messaging system that allows users to inset tailored messages and enable customization of these messages. A wide array of messaging service related technologies have been developed. As a result, a large number of vendors and network operators have rapidly deployed messaging service centers.
One type of popular messaging service is referred to as a Short Message Service (SMS), which is a two-way wireless alphanumeric text messaging service that enables short text messages, such as generally no more than 160 characters in length to be received at and transmitted from a mobile or cell phone. SMS may be provided in a variety of digital mobile communications systems. In Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, SMS messages are controlled by a standard described in TIA/EIA-637-A. Digital cellular phones, such as Global System for Mobile (GSM) communication phones, can also send and receive SMS messages. SMS messages may be stored and forwarded at SMS centers for later retrieval if a mobile or cell phone user is not immediately available. SMS messages travel to the mobile or a cell phone over the communications system's control channel, which is separate and apart from the voice channel.
Using an SMS to Application Gateway (SAG), a SMS message may be delivered to a user on a digital network via a network operator's message center or Internet. For example, an SMS text message may use gateways that exchange Signaling System 7 (SS7) messages. An SS7 message generally refers to a signaling or an addressing protocol that performs call processing when routing traffic for circuit switched services that provide out-of-band signaling on a high speed signaling backbone for a public switched telephone network (PSTN).
Another type of messaging is Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS). As defined by Third Generation Project Partnership (3GPP) and Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) Forum, a standard for accessing the Internet with wireless devices, e.g., mobile phones, MMS is a messaging service for a mobile environment very similar to SMS, or text messaging. For example, an MMS message may include text, a picture and an audio object. Specifically, an MMS service provides an automatic, immediate delivery of personal multimedia messages from a phone-to-phone or from a phone to an e-mail client. Thus, MMS is a type of messaging within mobile networks that extends SMS.
To provide MMS type messaging, the wireless or mobile network operators or service providers may not only have to integrate new infrastructure elements, but the end users may need to have mobile phones that support MMS. In addition to the familiar text content of text messages, MMS messages may comprise images, graphics, voice, audio clips, and the like.
As SMS traffic continues to grow, new value added services are being launched by many vendors and network operators as their SS7 networks have become congested. However, enhanced messaging and other SMS based services are putting more pressure on signaling networks. For example, MMS traffic demands even relatively more complex signaling solutions than the SMS traffic. Many service providers or vendors and network operators that offer real-time SMS services generally sell prepaid charging solutions based on text messages to market. However, MMS messages have different types of messages, such as pictures, audio, video streams.
The present invention is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing, the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.